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Harris County DA Says Her Request For More Prosecutors Has Been Politicized

Criminal Justice reform groups have criticized Kim Ogg’s request to hire 102 new lawyers. They argue more people will be jailed, but the DA says her office needs more staff to handle a backlog of cases.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg (center) attended a summit of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence in Houston and talked about her request her request for 102 additional prosecutors.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Monday her request for 102 additional prosecutors has been politicized and tried to quiet the concerns expressed by several criminal justice reform organizations.

Ogg has asked Harris County Commissioners to approve a $20 million increase to her budget to hire the additional attorneys. The commissioners are scheduled to vote on the matter this Tuesday.

Addressing the criticism, Ogg said she intends to use diversion programs for non-violent offenders as frequently as possible. “We’re going to keep diverting every single person that we can out of our justice system without a criminal record because that’s what I promised to do and that’s what I believe in,” she said while attending a summit of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence in Houston.

The DA noted that her request aims to resolve “a math problem” because of a backlog of roughly 40,000 cases, and her department only has 335 prosecutors to handle the caseload. “We have fewer prosecutors per capita than most major cities that we’ve looked at. Even in Texas we lag behind,” said Ogg.

The effects of Hurricane Harvey, which flooded the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, exacerbated the problem and the backlog multiplies daily.

Ogg also addressed suggestions that her office hire part-timer lawyers or temporary personnel to deal with the backlog. She said the amount of evidence that prosecutors must review has increased in the past few years because of body cameras, external cameras, DNA and social media posts. “There’s a lot to review and I won’t let our prosecutors be placed in the position of working in an assembly line justice system,” she said.

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Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz

General Assignment Reporter

Alvaro 'Al' Ortiz is originally from Spain. He worked for several years in his home country and gained experience in all platforms of journalism, from wire services to print, as well as broadcast news and digital reporting. In 2001, Al came to the United States to pursue a Master's degree...